This invention relates to paper roll headers.
In the paper manufacturing industry, the ends of large wound rolls of paper stock are typically protected by an outer wrapping around the periphery crimped over the annular edges, plus end plates known as headers. These headers may be formed of various materials, but typically include an inner header which is not waterproof and abuts an end of the roll with the wrapper crimped thereover, and an outer header which is waterproof and is sealed to the inner header and to the crimped wrapper ends. Each outer header is coated with a thermoplastic polymer, enabling it to be heat sealed to the peripheral wrapper and inner header to prevent moisture from penetrating or escaping from the ends of the rolled paper. The assembly of these components is preferably largely accomplished by machinery. Thus, the headers can be picked off a stack by a vacuum, i.e., suction, unit. Since the inner header is porous, the vacuum head unfortunately tends to pick up more than one at a time. If no inner header is employed, the outer header tends to bond to the paper as well as the crimped wrapper. This damages the paper. A dual temperature platen, taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,374 was developed for controlling the area of the header to be heated. This apparatus is not readily adaptable to heads of different size. Moreover, the cost of the apparatus is not insignificant.